My most introverted year in business (and why I'm leaning into it)
How I'm rebuilding my business around energy, not hustle, and what's happening to revenue
I’m in the most introverted phase I’ve ever experienced in my business. And for the first time in my life, instead of pushing through it, I’m redesigning my entire business model around it. It’s messy, it’s experimental, but I’m learning something important.
For years, my business ran on visibility and availability. Weekly live consultations, podcast recording, Instagram content, photoshoots, videos. The occasional workshop or speaking gig. The more I showed up, the more clients came.
But here’s the problem with that model: if you’re not present, everything stops. No client calls = no new clients. No content = no visibility. No visibility = no revenue.
And my energy? It doesn’t work like that. Some days I’m full of ideas, eager to talk, ready to be on camera. Other days, I just want to retreat, go deep, and work quietly.
This summer, I decided to experiment. What if I only worked on the days when I actually had the energy? What if I let myself retreat when I needed to, instead of forcing myself to perform?
So I made changes:
I shifted from live calls to async mentoring via chat and voice notes. Some clients love it, some find it strange. But it gives me flexibility.
Another change is that instead of scheduled strategy calls, I now offer Substack audits. I spend days analyzing deeply and deliver a detailed strategic document.
I pulled back from constant content creation. Paused my podcast. Barely posted on Instagram. Instead, I focused on Substack and the longer, deeper writing.
The surprise? My Substack revenue jumped. Now 50% of my income comes directly from here.
And there’s one more shift I’m making: moving toward digital products. Not as side projects this time—I’ve done those before, squeezed between client calls—but as a real part of how my business works. What if I could create things that generate income even when I’m deep in my introvert phase? When I’m writing, thinking, not showing up live? That’s the experiment I’m stepping into next.
Is this perfect? No. Am I still figuring it out? Absolutely. Will it always look like this? I don’t know.
Some weeks I have tons of energy and record content. Other weeks I disappear into my cave and only write. The revenue fluctuates more than when I had the constant-visibility model. Not every client wants async support.
But here’s what I do know: I’m proud of myself for listening to my internal rhythms instead of external expectations. For the first time, I’m shaping my business around how I actually work, not forcing myself into a mold that someone else said was “right.”
The online business world sells you one story: be visible, be consistent, be everywhere. Build systems that scale. Never stop showing up.
But what if introversion isn’t something to overcome but something to design around?
I’m learning that sustainable doesn’t mean constant. It means flexible, energy-aware. Built for the long game, not the short sprint.
And maybe, just maybe, the clients who want to work this way are exactly the ones I’m meant to serve.
If you’re running a business that depends on you being “on” all the time, here are some questions worth asking:
What would change if you only worked when you had real energy? Not forced productivity—actual creative energy. Would your business collapse, or could you restructure it?
Where are you performing instead of creating? Live calls you dread? Content you force? Speaking gigs that drain you? What if you said no?
Can you build revenue that doesn’t require your live presence? Subscriptions, digital products, async support—what could replace some (not all) of your 1:1 time?
You don’t have to blow everything up at once. Start with one experiment. I started with async mentoring. You might start with something else. But give yourself permission to try.
I don’t know if this business model will look the same in six months. I’m still figuring out the balance between income stability and energy sustainability. But I’m in the experiment, not just thinking about it.
And that’s the point. You don’t need permission to do business differently. You don’t need a perfect plan before you start. You just need to begin listening to yourself and adjusting as you go.
If you’re an introvert building a business, or someone whose energy ebbs and flows, you’re not broken. The model might just be wrong for you.
P.S. Want me to personally audit your entire Substack? Apply to my Substack Audit, where I’ll review your About page, homepage, content structure, and monetization strategy, and send you a detailed report with specific improvement recommendations.
Your turn:
How are you designing your business around your actual energy? I’d genuinely love to hear what you’re experimenting with.
This really speaks to me, Andi, especially the part about honoring your energy cycles. I’ve also been leaning into seasonal rhythms in my work, and last year was a conscious choice to live “slow” in business so I could recalibrate from the inside out.
Knowing you’re a 6/2 Generator makes this even more interesting - I imagine your energy needs deep integration time before stepping into visibility with full conviction.
I’m curious, has this redesign changed how you relate to your role as a creator or guide? Do you see your purpose evolving alongside the structure?
Would love to keep following your experiment 💜
I love this! It seems that Substack, like any other social media platform, is about visibility and always being 'on', and that honestly tires me out. My creativity simply doesn't flourish. It's nice to actually read that you're working around your energy. Your articles are so much relatable than the 100s of how-to-substack posts out there.
My growth is fairly slow, and I don't mind most times. Instead of offering more content for a paid subscription, I offer a creative 1:1 chat to brainstorm ideas, write together, etc. I also work as a product designer in tech who facilitates creative workshops all the time, and so I'm trying to combine those skills as an offering. At this stage in life, I don't think I can keep up with more content for paid subscriptions.